171

    To Sarah Savage Thatcher

    Philadelphia        12 May 1798

    My dear

    Every time I set down to write you I think, by the next Letter, I shall be able to fix nearly the day of adjournment; but when I come to write & look forward I find it equally uncertain as when I wrote last—There are but a few things that are proposed to accomplish this Session, but they are opposed with violence by some—supported with coolness & hesitation by others—While every one wishes the natural events of the next day may render any thing unnecessary—In this uncertain state of things the Session is prolonged from week to week, All hoping the next may be the last—

    I think I never wanted more to be at home in my life than this Spring—More reason[s] concur to produce this desire—Among others I have set my mind, all winter, upon the pleasure of clearing up my new pasture—& giving my aid & directions about cuting the bushes, & leaving some of the trees so as to make the whole a scene of delight and walks of amusement—

    Tell Jotham he must not cut out too much work for himself—I would not have him work too hard—Diligence, attention & moderation are the happiest rules for the farmer—The union of these with temperance maketh a man rich.

    Inclosed is a ten dollar Bill—

    On monday [7 May] the young men of this city to the number of about eleven hundred waited upon the President with an address approving of the general administration of Government & particularly of his conduct relative to France1—They all had black cock-ades in their hats2—this gave offence to some of the Jacobins, who declared the true badge of Liberty was the Tricoloured cock-ade, worn by the citizens of France—& they swore they would wear it in spight of the young men—Accordingly on the afternoon of fast day3 they appeared about twenty or thirty, in the State house Yard, with the Tricoloured cockade mounted in their hats; This soon bred a quarell between the parties, & in a few moments the whole city was in an uproar; The police of the City interposed and apprehended half a dozen of those distinguished with the tricoloured badge & put them into Gaol, which put a stop to any further disturbance—There seems now a pretty general acqu[i]escence to wear the black cockade which is the true American—Indeed the conduct of France has been & continues so outrageously unreasonable towards America that very few dare to espouse her cause4—Yet some take her part against the United States—This was the case in seventy five; a few Tories supported England against their own country—

    Your affectionate

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    ALS, TFP